Iran
Death penalty, applied. Executions documented by Amnesty International.
Updated
- Same-sex activity
- Illegal
- Recognition
- No legal recognition
- Death penalty
- In law or applied
- Region
- Middle East & North Africa
- Cities covered
- 1
- Confidence
- High
- Reviewed
- September 16, 2026
Sources:UK FCDO travel adviceEqualdexLinks checked Every country in one table
Travel advice
Avoid open conduct and any public affection. In death-penalty jurisdictions do not travel openly as a couple, and check FCDO or State Department advice before any trip.
Check the UK FCDO or US State Department advice before you book.
Where the boys go
1 place in Iran. Every city we cover →
Questions people ask
Safety and the law
Is Iran safe for gay travelers?
No. Iran is Tier 4 and the death penalty is in law. Death penalty, applied. Executions documented by Amnesty International. Avoid open conduct and any public affection. In death-penalty jurisdictions do not travel openly as a couple, and check FCDO or State Department advice before any trip.
Is it legal to be gay in Iran?
No. Same-sex activity is criminalized in Iran, with the death penalty in law. Death penalty, applied. Executions documented by Amnesty International. Read more →
Is same-sex marriage legal in Iran?
No. Iran has no legal recognition of same-sex couples, and being gay itself is a crime.
Does Iran have the death penalty for being gay?
Yes, and it is applied. Do not travel openly as a couple, and check FCDO or State Department advice before any trip.
Can gay tourists visit Iran?
People do, every day, and the law makes no exception for them. Nobody is checked for being gay at the border; what gets travelers into trouble is being open: the apps, public affection and, in some countries, what is on your phone.
Can gay couples hold hands in Iran?
No. Public affection between men is exactly what gets travelers into trouble here. Criminalized or dangerous. Not as a couple, not openly.
Are dating apps safe to use in Iran?
No. Where being gay is criminalized or persecuted, police have used dating apps to entrap and arrest gay men. Keep them off your phone in Iran.
Can two men share a hotel room in Iran?
Sharing a room is normal in Iran and is not, by itself, what gets people into trouble. Book twin beds, keep affection private and keep the apps off your phone.
Why is Iran Tier 4?
Tier 4, don't go, means same-sex activity illegal in law or in practice, or severe persecution. Death-penalty jurisdictions are flagged separately. Where two tiers are plausible we choose the more cautious one. Read more →
The scene
Is there a gay scene in Iran?
Nothing open. A scene that has to stay hidden: same-sex activity is criminalized or dangerous in this country, so anything that exists runs on private parties, word of mouth and closed apps. Do not look for a scene. Keep affection private, use apps with care, and check FCDO or State Department advice before you book.
Planning the trip
Which countries are in the same tier as Iran?
Tier 4 also holds Guyana, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Jamaica, Yemen and 62 more. Criminalized or dangerous. Not as a couple, not openly. Read more →
How reliable is this rating for Iran?
Confidence is high. The tier comes from ILGA World, the ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Human Dignity Trust, the Williams Institute, Pew, the Spartacus Gay Travel Index, Equaldex and court rulings, last reviewed September 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us and it moves. Read more →
Method
Tiered on the legal status and social acceptance of gay men and LGB people using ILGA World, the ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Human Dignity Trust, the Williams Institute, Pew, the Spartacus Gay Travel Index, Equaldex and court rulings. Where two tiers are plausible we choose the more cautious one. How we tier. Last reviewed September 2026.